NO TIME TO WASTE! CLOSE YOUR FARM TIP AND STOP OPEN BURNING

Transcription

1 Agricultural Waste

2 NO TIME TO WASTE! CLOSE YOUR FARM TIP AND STOP OPEN BURNING

3 Our Aim To improve the environmental performance and waste management standards on farms progressively and in a fair and proportionate way so that the environment and human health are better protected.

4 Background Agricultural wastes are currently exempt from the UK s waste management controls Other industries have been regulated since 1970 UK is facing infraction proceedings in Europe - waste controls must extend to cover agriculture Impact on all 162,000 farmers in England and Wales Costs to Industry estimated at 45m per annum Agricultural Waste Stakeholders Forum

5 Agricultural waste - what is it? Cardboard & paper Metal, wood, glass & rubber Vehicle & machinery waste - batteries Animal health products - medicines, syringes, swabs, sheep dip Construction & demolition waste Plastics - packaging & non-packaging Hazardous waste - agro-chemicals, oils, fuels, asbestos, pesticides

6 What is going to happen? Regulations expected in early 2006 Close farm tip/dump If a farmer adds further waste to a tip AFTER the Regulations are in force then ALL the waste will be subject to control Even if you just want to close it

7 What is going to happen? Stop burning agricultural waste However, you can use a drum incinerator to burn cleaned polyethlene pesticide containers for a period of 12 months There will be an exemption for the burning of green waste and untreated wood e.g. hedge trimmings

8 What s going to happen? Transitional periods Day one Duty of Care applies 6 months before carrier registration 12 months to register exemptions or apply for a licence/permit 12 month transition does not apply to farm tip/dumps Hazardous waste regulations do not apply for 12 months

9 Duty of Care Ensure you pass your waste to an authorised person Store your waste securely so that it can t escape Prepare and keep all transfer notes for 2 years

10 Carrier registration The registration system applied to the carriage of other wastes is dis-applied for agricultural waste A simpler system is being applied to those who carry agricultural waste professionally Its FREE, for life and can not be refused

11 Exemption Registration Don t panic you have 12 months to register Contact our National Customer Contact Centre for advice or to register Register on-line through the Whole Farm Appraisal visit our web-site and download a registration form

12 Exemption Registration Its FREE for agricultural waste We are committed to helping farmers through this registration, but it is YOUR obligation to register

13 What are the options for farmers? (1) Farmers will now have several options for dealing with their waste- 1. Store their waste, pending collection, on the site where it is produced for up to 12 twelve months 2. Take the waste themselves for recovery or disposal off-farm at an appropriately licensed site (the Waste Recycling Directory will help find these sites)

14 Options for farmers (2) 3. Transfer their waste to someone else for recovery or disposal off-farm at an appropriately licensed site 4. Register a licence exemption with the Environment Agency to recover or dispose of their waste on-farm. 5. Apply to the Environment Agency for a waste management licence or a landfill permit to recover or dispose of their waste on-farm

15 Environmental Impacts If farmers do not manage their wastes then the uncontrolled disposal of waste can cause pollution and harm to human health. 10% of the UK s annual dioxin loading is attributed to agriculture The disposal of wastes such as asbestos, oils and lead acid batteries on farm tips has the potential for direct and diffuse pollution (about 50% of our drinking water is from groundwater)

16 Don t forget to look up Agricultural Waste on our web site: Agricultural Waste Stakeholders Forum: htm Waste Recycling Directory: EA National Customer Contact Centre

17 EXTRA SLIDES

18 Manure and Slurry Manure and slurry are not waste when used as a fertiliser on agricultural premises Manures and slurries should not be spread: within 10 metres of a ditch or watercourse within 50 meters of a spring, well or borehole

19 Sheep-dip Farmers who dispose of sheep dip on land under a groundwater authorisation will not need to obtain any new permissions Using an authorised area more than once a year is banned by virtue of the landfill regulations This position also applies to the disposal of pesticide washings under groundwater authorisations

20 Lined Biobeds Used to treat pesticide waste waters Currently no exemption from waste management licensing for biobeds We expect a consultation from Defra in the near future on creating an exemption for biobeds